My first movie/anime/Miyazaki/Spirited Away fan-fiction! I'm so excited about this one! I know there are many stories with the same concept as this one but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I love getting feedback, so please review!

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A Second Chance

Chapter 1: Reunion

Here we go again, Chihiro thought. Another fight with the parents and here I am. Back to the same old place I always run to.

It was a small clearing in the woods which had a giant boulder where she sat so many times before, just letting the emotion pour out of her. But tonight was different. Tonight, it was raining. But it was a comforting rain: like the spirits were trying to tell her something.

I wonder what's going on, she thought as she spun, taking it all in. Suddenly, she saw something on the boulder and stopped dead. Could it be? Am I seeing things?

"Hello, Chihiro" the familiar voice chimed.

"Haku? Is it really you?" she asked, shocked. He looked exactly the same and it reminded her of the first time they met: her in her average clothes (this time a sweatshirt and capris) and him in those same blue and white clothes.

"Yes, it's really me" he replied, "I've been searching for you Chihiro. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too" she replied, tears running down her already soaked face.

"Are you crying?" Haku asked, concerned as he got off the boulder, "Why? What's wrong?"

"I just…I can't believe you're here" she replied.

"I made a promise, didn't I?"

"Yes…yes, you did" Chihiro said, running up to him and throwing her arms around him, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too" he replied.

"But how'd you escape?" she asked, pulling away a little, "What about Ubaba? What happened to Lin and Komaji and everyone? Are they alright?" the questions flowed out of her at a million miles an hour.

"Shh…calm down. They're all right" he said, holding her close, trying to calm her.

"But how?" she asked.

"That's not important right now. What is important is that we're together again."

And they stood in the rain, just happy to be able to see each other's faces after what seemed like a lifetime apart.

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Later, as Haku and Chihiro were catching up, Chihiro caught a glance at her watch. Two hours had passed. "Oh no" she said, standing up.

"What is it?" Haku asked.

"I've got to get home. My parents will be worried sick and I'll probably get the grounding of a lifetime" she paused, "I'm so sorry, Haku. I wish I didn't have to go."

"That's okay. I understand. Go home. I'll meet you here tomorrow."

"If by some miracle I'm not grounded" she said with a smile.

"Well…I'll be here just in case" he replied.

"Okay, see you soon" she said, walking backwards out of the clearing, back home. I can't believe it. He's really here…

To no surprise, her parents were furious when she got home. But Chihiro was in such a good mood, she hardly noticed (even though she was grounded for a month). When she got to her room, she crashed on her bed and gazed at the many drawings she'd done of Haku (in both human and dragon form), No-Face, Lin, Komaji, and all her friends from those strange days. Her parents thought they were simply the result of an overactive imagination, but she knew the truth and would never forget the strangest and most exciting period of her life. She was thinking back and toward the future, trying to imagine what her life would be like now that Haku was back in it. Can he still turn into a dragon? Where is he staying? These were questions that hadn't even crossed her mind until now. But the most important question was how was she supposed to sneak out to meet him tomorrow night? She fell asleep still pondering that question.

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The next day was just like any other, for anyone but Chihiro that is. She was distracted and it was noticed.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Lina, her best friend, asked.

"What?" Chihiro snapped out of her daydream, "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted today."

"Thinking about your mystery man?" Lina asked, excited.

"How did you…"

"C'mon, I'm your neighbor. I notice things" she said, "So…who is he?"

"Just an old friend" Chihiro replied.

"From your old school?"

I guess you could say that, she thought. "Yeah, he went to my old school." What else am I supposed to say? "No, I met him in this old theme park that transported me to a whole other world where I had to work at this bath-house to find a way to turn my parents back into humans because they turned into pigs…" I can't tell her the truth. They'd have me committed.

"So…what's his name?" Lina asked, pressing for information.

"Haku" Chihiro replied. At least I don't have to lie about that.

Lina is pretty much the class leader. She offered to show Chihiro around on the first day and they hit it off almost immediately. She's almost a younger version of Lin, Chihiro thought when she first saw her. They've been friends ever since.

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RRIIIIIIIINNG!

Finally, school's out for the day. I should probably get all my stuff done ASAP so I can concentrate on how to sneak out tonight. You know, Lina will probably be watching. I've never really noticed before but she's kind of a busy-body.

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And here is where I got stuck for a while…which is why I decided to make it a chaptered story instead of just a one-shot. I'll probably get some fresh ideas from my friends after they read it and I'll get the next chapter done! Anyway, I hope you liked it and I would really, really appreciate some feed-back!